Furnace-charging apparatus.



F. G. ROBERTS.

FURNAGE OHARGIN G APPARATUS,

APPLICATION FILED DEO.23,1907.

Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR:

WITNESSES:

F. C. ROBERTS. FURNACE UHARGING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED 1130.23, 1907.

Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR:

WITNESSES:

F. C. ROBBRT$. FURNACE CHARGING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 23, 1907.

91 0,233. Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WI TNESS 5s F. C. ROBERTS. FURNACE CHARGING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 23, 1907.

9 1 @233 Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

4 SHEBTSSHEET Q.

' WIT INVENTOR:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK O. ROBERTS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA FURNACE-CHARGING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

Application filed December 23, 1907. Serial No. 407,816.

. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK O. ROBERTS, residing at Philadel hia, in the county of Philadelphia and tate of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Furnace-Charging Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the improvement is to secure a more uniform distribution of the materials charged into the furnace. It is found, under certain conditions as to the physicalchar acteristics of the materials .to be delivered into the furnace, that in the case of furnace the materials are delivered into the hopper and the object I have in view-namely, the more uniform distribution of the materials within the furnace will be secured if provision is made to revolve the hop' er before discharging the contents into the urnace.

I am aware that types of furnace charging apparatus are in use in which a revolving supplementary hopper is employed, said su plementary ho per located above, and (11scharging into t e main hopper, the latter be ing stationary. In my improvement however, I revolve the main hopper, the supplementary hopper, if provided, being statlonar The manner in which I attain my object will be clearl understood by reference to the drawings, w ich accompany this specification and in which Figure 1 represents an end vertical elevation, partly in vertical section, showing one embodiment of my invention Fig. 2 is a vertical side elevation of the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a plan of said arrangement. Fig. 4 shows a second form of apparatus, and Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 8 and 9 show-several details and modifications of ,Y

construction.

Similar letters refer throughout the several views.

to similar parts Referring toFigs. 1, 2 and 3, A desi ates the furnace hopper, a. its inclosing wal s and B the closure for closing its mouth. 'B is which is in turn supported by the hollow cylindrical casting D aving at its upper end, a flange E-resting on a ring F which IS furnished with two trunnion-pins G at opposite points of its circumference, to each of which is attached a chain H passin over and attached at the'top to segments 0% arcs K attached to the end of levers I, which levers are also eguipped at the opposite ends with segments 0 Chains 1-1 are attached at the top to K and at the bottom to an equalizing bar L which is in 'turn attached to piston rod M leading and fastened to a piston operating within steam cylinder N. A cylinder 0 is attached to the bottom of D thus forming a pocket within which passes the lower end of cylinder P. I is the continuation of P and forms the conduit for carrying away, to the points of distribution, the gases generated in the furnace while Q is a relief valve and P a cylinand O. R is a truck sup orted on wheels r, resting on girders 1', and crums J of the levers I. S is a shield covering the 110 per A and supported from R by bars 8,. 'l is a skip car or cars for hoisting materials to the top of the furnace and delivering them into the chute or hopper U leading through S and into A by means of an opening X. The latter opening is provided With a closure X consistin of a slide valve 0 erated by a steam cyhnder X, acting t rough its piston, the piston rod X and the levers X (see Fig. 6). The outer edge of the shield S is provided with a flange S extending downwards into a pocket (1., formed at the upper edge of the inclosing walls a of A. The hopper A is su ported freely on an annular casting Y W'hic in turn rests upon and is attached to the metal work V inclosing the furnace. W is an annular casting attached to the flange on A and extending un' der the up er flange of Y (to prevent the vertical disp acement of A) and pro'ecting downwards into the pocket formed hy the cylinder W attached to the lower flange of Z is a motor operating to revolve A throu shaft Z,, pinion Z, and rack Z attache to A. The flange on A which rests on Y is provided with a lip (1 extending downsupported by the hollow frustum or cone C.

arcs K,. The levers I are pivoted at J der shield to protect the pocket formed by D.

carrying the fulwards and inside of the upper flange on Y the pur ose of the construction being to prevent the ateral displacement of A.

,The operation is as follows :--The material to be charged into the furnace is carried up by one of the skip cars T and dumped into the chute or hopper U from whence it passes through the opening X into A. The motor- 1 peated until the opper A is filled with ma terial to the desired extent; it is to be noted that A need not be revolved after the last skip load of material has been delivered into it. As an illustration; assume that after each charge the hopper A is revolved 45 derees which would require eight charges to '11 A; the first seven charges would e revolved 45 degrees but A would not be revolved after the eighth charge. After the above described 0 eration the closure B and connected parts D O and F are lowered in an obvious manner by means of the steam cylinder N it being borne in mind that in the ap aratus shown, the steam pressure in cylin er N raises the closure B etc. to the osition shown in Fi 1 while the removal 0 the steam pressure from the cylinder allows B etc. to drop, thus opening the mouth ofthe hopper A and allowlng its contents to be delivered into the furnace. It is to be noted that the shield S does not revolve with A but remains stationary and that, the valve X being closed and the pocket 0., being filled with water or sand (thus forming with S, a seal), gas is not permitted to escape from the furnace when B is lowered. It is also to be noted that the pocket formed by D and O is filled with water and that P isstationary, the depth of the pocket and P being such that the lowering of B and attached parts to the desired point, leaves the lower end of P immersed in water, thus formin a water seal and preventing the escape 0 gas. An

overflow pipe (Z is provided to discharge surplus water into trough S from whence it passes to waste.

It is evidentthat by the above operation any inequality in the distribution of coarse and fine materials which may arise in delivering the materials into A is redistributed around the circumference of the furnace and that thereby I secure fairly uniform distribution of coarse and fine materials throughcured by filling the pocket with water, sand or other suitable material.

The explosions which at times take place within the furnace have a tendency to lift the hopper A; the flange W attached to A and pro ecting under the upper flange of Y prevents such a result.

In all forms of furnace charging apparatus it is desirable to provide convenient means for the removal of old and the placing of new arts. This is accomplished 1n the present mstance in the followin manner. D is disconnected from C and and B and C supported in any convenient manner; P is also disconnected from P and allowed to drop into the pocket formed by D and O. The levers I are then secured in their upper positions and the piston rod M of the steam cylinder disconnected from L. The flange S is detached and raised and the chute U disconnected from S. These operations result in P, D and all connected Iparts, in addition to S being carried by truc R which may then be moved to one side as shown in dotted lines at the left of Fig. 2. Truck R R is then moved over the center of the furnace and C, B and the lower portion of the ho per A lifted out of their normal positions y any approved means and moved to one side as indicated in dotted lines at the right of Fig. 2. New parts may then be inserted and the described operation reversed.

Fig. 4 represents a second form of my improvement in which as before A is thehopper,

the closure and S the shield. In this case however, the ski car T delivers the materials into chute 6 WlllCh discharges into a supple ment/ary hop er 7 provided with a closure 8. The closure B is supported by a rod 6 provided at its upper end with flanges I), (see Fig. 5) within which and around I) is provided a ring 11 with trunnions 6,. Links I), and pin I), connect the parts to lever. 9 which is operated in the usual manner by steam cylinder 10; the construction being such t at B and b can revolve without turning 11 and connected parts. The closure 8 is supported by the hollow rod 12 carried from lever 13 by links 14 and operated in the usual manner by steam cylinder 15. S is a shield covering the hopper A and supported on the upper flange of Z Z Z Z as in Fig. 1 constitute the driving mec anism for revolving A. The hopper A issupported by and revolves on Y; the annular casting W prevents the .vertical displacement of the ho per while the lip a prevents the lateral disp acement of the hop erA; a seal is provided by W, W and Y: ail as in Fig. 1.

Attention is called to the fact that while in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 a construction is shown wherein the shield S is supported by R and does not rest on A, the construction shown in Fig. 4 provides that S be supported on the hopper A.

The operation of the a aratus illustrated in Fig. 4 is as follows: he material to be charged into the furnace is carried up by one of the skip cars T and dumped into chute 6 from whence it passes into the sup lementary hopper 7. lhe closure 8 is then owered and the material allowed to pass into A after which Sis raised and the opening between 7 and A, closed. The hopper A and contents is then revolved by motor Z to any desired number of de rees, the closure B, rod 6 and shield S revolving with A. After the desired revolution of A has been accomplished, the closure B is lowered by the obv1ous action of the steam cylinder 10 and the contents of A discharged into the furnace. This operation of charging and revolving is reeated (eXce t as noted in illustration beow) the num er of degrees of revolution being increased each revolution to any desired extent in order that the distribution of coarse and fine materials secured in A may be redistributed around the circumference of the furnace. As an illustration:Assume that upon the first charge of materials being delivered into'A, the ho per A is revolved 90 degrees; the second cliarge is revolved 180 degrees; the third charge 270 degrees, while the fourth charge is not revolved but delivered into the furnace in the position in which it is delivered into A. It is then seen that one of the charges should be delivered into the furnace without the revolution of A whether it be the last or the first charge.- It is evident'that by the above described operation any irregularity in the distribution of coarse and fine materials which may arise in delivering the materials into A is re-distributed around the circumference of the furnace and that thereby, I secure a fairly uniform distribution of coarse and fine materials throughout the cross section of the furnace. Figs. 7, 8 and 8 show a second form of support for the hopper A wherein A is supported on wheels 3 restmg in casting 1 which 1s provided with a pocket 2 into which a vertical flange a of hopper A projects; it is evident that by filling the pocket 2'with water or other suitable materlal a seal will be formed to prevent the escape of gas from the interior of the furnace. In this case the vertical displacement of the hopper A is prevented by shafts 16 carrying wheels 3, the ends of which shafts project over a flange 17 on a and thus revent A from being displaced vertically. In the construction shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 8 a flange a, is provided on 1 said a, being inside of a thus preventing the lateral displacement of the hopper A.

It is obvious that in the arrangement shown in Fig. 4 it would be ossible to support the shield S independent y of the hop er A; one method of do1n this is illustrate in Fig. 9 wherein the shie d S is shown as supported by the supplementary hopper 7.

'per for Havin fully described my invention, what I c aim and desire to cover by Letters Patent is- 1. In a furnace, a hopper, a closure for said hop er, means for operating said closure, a s ield over said ho er and supported independently of sea hopper, an opening in said shield for delivering materials into said hopper, a closure for said opening, means for operating said closure and means for revolving said ho per and its closure.

2. In a furnace, a liopper, a closure for said hopper, means for operating said closure, a shleld over said hopper and supported independently of said hopper, an opening in said shield for delivering materials into said hopper, a closure for said opening, means for operating said closure, means for revolving said hopper and its closure and means for preventing the lateral and vertical displacement of said hopper.

3. In a furnace, a hopper, a closure for said hopper, means for operating said closure, a

inc (1 over said hopper and supported inde-' pendently of said hopper, an opening in said shield for delivering materials into said hopper, a closure for said opening, means for operating said closure, a supplemental hopdelivering materials to said opening and means for revolving said hopper and its closure.

4. In a furnace, a lower main hopper, a closure for said hop er, means for operating said closure, a shie (1 over said hopper and supported independently of said hop er, an opening in said shield, an upper supp emental hop er, located in said opening, a closure for sa1d supplemental hopper, means for operating said closure, and means for revolving said lower main hopper and its closure.

5. In a furnace, a lower main hopper, a closure for said hopper, means for operating said closure, a shield over said hopper and supported inde endently of said hopper, an opening in sai shield for delivering materials into said ho per, a closure for said opening and means or operating said closure, a supplemental hopper for delivering materia s to said opening, a second opening in said shield located centrally over said lower main hopper, a conduit for gas extending upwards through said second opening and forming a part of the means for operating the closure of said lower main ho per, an annular pocket near the top of sai conduit, 5-. circular gas flue having its inclosing walls extending downward into said pocket, a seal formed by said pocket and said gas flue and means for revolving said lower main hopper, its closure and said conduit.

6. In a furnace charging apparatus, a lower main hopper a closure for said hopper, means for operating said closure whereby the contents of said hopper may be discharged symmetrically around the interior of the furnace by one operation of said closure, a symmetrically around the interior of the shield over said hopper, an upper supplemenfurnace by one operation of said closure, an tal hopper located in an opening in said upper su plemental hopper, a closure for shield, a closure for said supplemental hopsaid supp emental hopper, means for operat- 15 5 per means for operating sai sup lemental lng sa1d supplementa hopper closure and opper closure and means for revo ving said means for revolving said lower main hopper lower main hopper and its closure. and its closure.

7. In a furnace charging apparatus, a FRANK C. ROBERTS. lower main hopper, a closure for said hopper, Witnesses: 10 means for operating said closure whereby the RANDOLPH H. MILLER,

contents of said hopper may be discharged I L. K. LAOHMAN. 

